The police say Mr Jafar is accused of inciting crime by calling for a holy war against the Christian community in a speech he made in the Moluccan provincial capital, Ambon, two days before the massacre.

The BBC Jakarta correspondent says the Moluccan conflict escalated two years ago when thousands of Laskar Jihad fighters arrived but the authorities seemed scared to act - now, the arrest of the group's leader has sparked a violent reaction.